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Ugandan Lashes At Sudan

Museveniâ€™s remarks about the country hosting the peace talks â€“albeit negotiations are being held in the practically autonomous South Sudanâ€”comes at a time when key stakeholders have warned against â€œharmful propagandaâ€? that could scuttle the fragile talks.

(It's Sudan's fault says Uganda's president).

The Ugandan president has lashed out at the Sudan government, blaming it for the war in Uganda—separately, Yoweri K. Museveni also attacked the country’s news media.

His critics, including opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, have recently said the president’s ridiculing of the peace negotiations with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the government, jeopardized a potential deal.

“This is not a civil war. Who is fooling who?” Museveni said, in his remarks at a news conference. “If the local people are not involved and are being killed, it can not be a civil war but terrorism. God works in mysterious ways.” He added: “The foolishness of Khartoum attacking us by supporting the Lord’s Resistance Army terrorists enabled us to stand with our brothers in Southern Sudan.” His reference was to Uganda’s support for the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) during that country’s civil war.

Museveni’s remarks about the country hosting the peace talks –albeit negotiations are being held in the practically autonomous South Sudan—comes at a time when key stakeholders have warned against “harmful propaganda” that could scuttle the fragile talks. Dr. Besigye on October 20 wrote to the President of Southern Sudan Gen. Salva Kiir, who is hosting the talks, about “unwarranted utterances” by Museveni, that could undermine the talks.

“It is a terrorism campaign that was organized by the government of Sudan who wanted to overthrow us because Khartoum thought we would side with the Blacks in southern Sudan whose rights were being sat on by the Sudan administration.”

Regarding the countries two major newspapers, the privately owned The Daily Monitor and the government-controlled New Vision, the president said: “They are really very useless. The type of characters in those two institutions have no contribution to this country.”

Ssebaggala writes for The Black Star News from Uganda.

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